Greetings,
Happy Fourth of July to all who celebrate.
In Memoriam: R.I.P. Martin Mull (aka Gene Parmesan) and screenwriting legend Robert Towne.
First Looks: Images surfaced from Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator.
Donkey Returns: Eddie Murphy discussed a new Shrek spin-off starring Donkey, his dragon wife, and their interspecies offspring.
The Cart Before the Horse?: Denis Villeneuve’s unknown next movie gets a December 2026 release.
And now, some recs.
A timeless thriller . . .
Strangers on a Train – 1h 41m, 1951, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Available on: Tubi
Dostoevskyian characters of dubious morals gambling on the worst aspects of human nature . . . a psychopath versus the civilized world, asking: Would you commit a crime if you knew you would get away with it?
To celebrate the nation’s birthday . . .
Born on the Fourth of July – 2h 24m, 1989, Dir. Oliver Stone
Available on: Netflix
Like Forrest Gump1 but with an overdose of realism and a healthy amount of bodily horror. Echoes of Jacob’s Ladder but less outrightly nightmarish.
A rare horror romance . . .
Possession – 2h 3m, 1981, Dir. Andrzej Żuławski
Available on: Shudder
The ultimate toxic relationship,2 freak-matching to the nth degree, a symbolic depiction of divorce that is by turns extreme, grotesque, and unexplainable.
A night of classic cinema . . .
The Red Shoes – 2h 13m, 1948, Dirs. Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell
Available on: Max
Death by musical obsession . . . the consequences of art wielded like a weapon to cleave lovers and enemies for egotistical means. A multilayered drama rich in colors, orchestral symphonies, and Shakespearean dramas.
A marriage mystery . . .
Certified Copy – 1h 46m, 2010, Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Available on: The Criterion Channel
A tease, a trilingual romance, a marriage excavated in parts, dissected intellectual minds debating art and authenticity to reveal piecemeal the complicated relationship between mysterious individuals. Reminiscent of Linklater’s Before Midnight, played out like a game in which the director wisely keeps his cards close to the chest.
Which we proudly file under MAJORLY OVERRATED.
But #goals.